TWINS’ KODY CLEMENS BEATS ROYALS WITH WALK-OFF SLAM
Kody Clemens launched a walk-off grand slam to lift the Minnesota Twins to an improbable 4-3 victory over the visiting Kansas City Royals on Thursday afternoon in Minneapolis.
Minnesota won despite being held without a hit until the seventh inning. Lucas Erceg took over for Noah Cameron in the ninth and got two outs before hitting Ryan Jeffers with a pitch and allowing Royce Lewis’ single. Josh Bell walked to load the bases before the Royals turned to Matt Strahm (3-4), who hung an 0-2 slider to Clemens, leading to the 407-foot blast to right-center.
Bailey Ober started and threw six innings for the Twins, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits, striking out three and walking two. Yoendrys Gomez (2-0) tossed a scoreless top of the ninth as Minnesota won its sixth game in eight outings.
Cameron hurled an eight-inning gem, yielding just one hit while striking out seven and walking two. Jac Caglianone hit a two-run homer for the Royals, who had won eight of their previous 12.
Rays 3, Rangers 2
Cedric Mullins slashed a tiebreaking solo home run in the eighth inning and Victor Mesa Jr. made it stand up with a dazzling catch in the ninth, leading Tampa Bay past Texas in St. Petersburg, Fla.
In the rubber match between two American League division leaders, Mullins cued a 96 mph fastball from Ben Peoples (0-1) over the short wall in left. The Rangers had a chance to take control in the ninth, but Mesa dashed toward the right field foul pole, reached up and backhanded Evan Carter’s drive that likely robbed the pinch hitter of an extra-base hit.
Jonny DeLuca homered and went 2-for-4 with a stolen base for the Rays, while Yandy Diaz had two singles and an RBI. Wyatt Langford doubled in a run for the Rangers, who scored just six total runs in the three-game series.
White Sox 2, Yankees 1 (11 innings)
Tristan Peters drew a game-ending walk with the bases loaded in the 11th inning and Randal Grichuk had two hits to lift host Chicago to a victory against New York, earning a split of the four-game series.
With two outs in the 11th, Fernando Cruz (4-5) threw four straight balls to Peters to force automatic runner Chase Meidroth home. Seranthony Dominguez (4-3) pitched a scoreless top of the 11th to earn the victory. All three runs came in extra innings, with Trent Grisham delivering an RBI single for the Yankees in the 10th and Andrew Benintendi responding with an RBI single for the White Sox.
Chicago righty Sean Burke delivered six shutout innings for his fifth quality start in as many July outings. He scattered three hits while collecting 10 strikeouts. New York southpaw Ryan Weathers tossed seven scoreless innings, giving up three hits and three walks.
Cubs 4, Cardinals 2 (10 innings)
Alex Bregman and Ian Happ each ripped an RBI double in the 10th inning to fuel visiting Chicago to a victory over St. Louis.
Nico Hoerner collected three hits and Michael Busch added two — including an RBI single in the seventh inning — to propel the Cubs to their third win in the four-game series. Chicago reliever Jacob Webb (4-2) allowed one hit in 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
JJ Wetherholt belted a solo homer in the seventh inning for the Cardinals, who lost for the 10th time in 13 games. Right fielder Lars Nootbaar appeared to forget the number of outs in the fourth inning before overthrowing the cutoff man in his haste, allowing Bregman to score and even the game.
Braves 5, Nationals 4
Ozzie Albies’ two-out single in the sixth inning drove in two runs and helped Atlanta register a come-from-behind victory over visiting Washington.
Albies was facing an 0-2 count when he sent a sweeper from Carson Palmquist into center field to drive in Drake Baldwin and Ronald Acuna Jr. The winning pitcher was Victor Mederos (1-0). Raisel Iglesias pitched a scoreless ninth and earned his 23rd save.
Washington starter Jake Irvin (2-5) was activated from the injured list to make his first start since May 23. He allowed five runs on three hits in five-plus innings.
Reds 3, Pirates 2
Nathaniel Lowe legged out a fielder’s choice on a chopper up the middle to drive in Elly De La Cruz as host Cincinnati ground out a victory over Pittsburgh.
After De La Cruz led off the ninth against Gregory Soto (5-3) with his third double of the game, a pair of walks loaded the bases. Lowe then beat out a potential double play to allow the winning run to score. De La Cruz also stole two bases, scored two runs and knocked in a run.
Brandon Lowe hit a solo homer and Nick Gonzales went 2-for-4 with a double and a run for the Pirates, who took their third loss in a row.
Mets 4, Marlins 2
Luis Robert Jr. delivered a tiebreaking two-run single in the eighth inning as host New York edged Miami in the opener of a four-game series.
Marlins reliever Michael Petersen (1-2) retired the first two batters in the eighth before Bo Bichette doubled and went to third on Carson Benge’s single. Benge stole second before Robert singled to left field.
New York’s Brooks Raley (5-5) tossed 1 2/3 innings of one-hit relief. Devin Williams recorded his 16th save with a hitless ninth. Kyle Stowers and Jakob Marsee homered for the Marlins, who had their three-game winning streak snapped.
Dodgers 6, Mariners 2
Dalton Rushing hit a three-run homer, Mookie Betts added a two-run double and Los Angeles beat visiting Seattle to win its fourth consecutive series since the All-Star break.
Roki Sasaki (5-5) gave up two runs on five hits over 5 1/3 innings. Teoscar Hernandez homered as the replacement at designated hitter for Shohei Ohtani, who was given a day off due to left knee soreness.
Randy Arozarena had an RBI double among his three hits for the Mariners, who finished a 2-5 road trip. Bryan Woo (7-8) allowed five runs on five hits in five innings.
Red Sox 5, Athletics 4
Wilyer Abreu and Willson Contreras hit back-to-back homers in the eighth inning to help Boston take a four-game series from the Athletics in West Sacramento, Calif.
Sonny Gray (13-2) went seven innings and Aroldis Chapman stranded the tying run on second base to get his 26th save as the Red Sox took three of four in the series. Ceddanne Rafaela had two hits and two RBIs and Contreras also had two hits for Boston, which has won 20 of its past 23 games.
Lawrence Butler and Jacob Wilson each had two hits and one RBI for the Athletics, who have lost five of six games and 26 of their past 33.
Giants 4, Padres 1
Daniel Susac homered and knocked in three runs while Robbie Ray sailed through six effective innings as San Francisco cooled off host San Diego.
One of several players San Francisco might deal for prospects before the Monday trade deadline, Ray (10-6) checked San Diego on four hits and a run. Three relievers closed it out, with Erik Miller handling the ninth inning for his fourth save.
San Diego starter JP Sears (3-4) permitted three runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. The result snapped a five-game winning streak by the Padres, their longest since an eight-gamer in April.
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REPORTS: METS DEAL RELIEVER A.J. MINTER TO TWINS
The New York Mets have begun their expected sell-off of veterans in the final days before the trade deadline, and the first deal is bringing a familiar last name back to Queens.
According to multiple reports early Friday morning, the club agreed to deal left-handed reliever A.J. Minter to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for minor league infielders Bruin Agbayani and Billy Amick.
Agbayani, 19, is the son of former Mets outfielder Benny Agbayani, a fan favorite in his playing days.
Minter, 32, is set to become a free agent after the season. He is 1-1 with a 2.35 ERA and 20 strikeouts and just two walks across 23 innings in 23 appearances this season, his second in New York after eight seasons with Atlanta. He is 25-30 with 36 saves and a 3.18 ERA and 456 strikeouts over 382 2/3 innings in 420 games in his career.
Minter suffered a lat muscle tear last season that delayed his 2026 debut to late May and could help explain his dip in velocity.
Agbayani was the Twins’ sixth-round draft pick last year out of Saint Louis School in Honolulu. He played 10 games for Class-A Fort Myers this year, batting .268 with no homers and six RBIs, but he has been sidelined since mid-May due to a right shoulder ailment.
Amick, 23, was Minnesota’s second-round draft choice in 2024 out of the University of Tennessee. He hit .217 with 23 homers and 72 RBIs in 86 games for Double-A Wichita this season.
The Twins enter Friday three games behind the Chicago White Sox for the American League Central lead and one game back of fellow Central foe Cleveland for the final AL wild-card spot.
The Mets, cemented in last place in the National League East, hold the second-worst record in the NL and fifth worst in the majors.
Among the players they are expected to try to move are relievers Luke Weaver and Brooks Raley as well as starters Freddy Peralta and Clay Holmes.
The trade deadline is 6 p.m. ET on Monday.
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